The Monk's Kettle

Decent food and nice ambience but the service was rushed and almost non-existent. Stopped in for lunch today as I was craving for a burger. Been wanting to try this spot out ever since it moved into the neighborhood.

When I walked in, the place was empty but it was fairly early (before noon). Cute rustic feel with lots of tables, booths, and a nice corner bar. Wouldn’t say that I was greeted warmly, but I was greeted. The lady who helped me wasn’t rude but she wasn’t friendly.

Skipped the beer since this was a work lunch but opted for an iced tea and the smash burger. The food prices are actually in line with many of the other burger spots on the block which is convenient. The smash burger was just okay. They use a soft potato bun which has a tendency to disintegrate when there’s sauce on it. It got soggy and messy super fast. A crisper bun would be ideal for this kind of burger in my opinion. Burger patty has nice flavor and it was juicy. The fries were super salty but still good.

The service is where this place is failing. Not once did my server come back to check in on me to see how I was doing. She waited until I was mid bite to ask me if I wanted anything else and all I could do was nod my head no since my mouth was full. Then she left the check on the table as I was still chomping.

I guess I didn’t get my card out fast enough for her because next thing you know, she comes back to my table with a tablet and says that I can just tap my card to pay. What if I was paying with cash? There were literally only 3 other parties in the restaurant and it wasn’t busy at all. What’s the rush? I definitely felt like she was trying to get me out of there fast.

So yeah… first impression was not a good one. This should really be a 2 star review, but given the ambience and also the fact that I didn’t try any of the beer here yet, I’ll round up to 3. At the point, I have no plans on returning. I’ll just stick to my old and faithful Ben N’ Nicks down the block and...

Great New Spot, but Missing the Old Favorites

We lived just two blocks away from The Monk’s Kettle in the Mission and were regulars there, so we were sad to see it close earlier this year. Coincidentally, we moved to the East Bay just a couple of months after they closed the Mission location, so we were excited to see them reopen in Rockridge and finally made it in for dinner.

The new spot has a similar cozy vibe but was packed, which is great to see. It feels like they’ve found a better fit here with a more family-friendly crowd and a great location. The back patio looks charming—we sat at the bar this time but will definitely try it next time.

As for the food, it was solid but didn’t fully capture the magic of the Mission menu. I got the bricked chicken sandwich, which was flavorful and had some of the familiar tastes we loved, but I really miss the fried chicken sandwich from the old location. My girlfriend had the Monk’s Burger, which tasted just as good as we remembered.

The fries, though, were a bit disappointing. These are denser, skinny fries—likely the same as their Terra Linda location—and don’t compare to the amazing Kennebec hop salt fries they had in SF. The bartender explained their fryer situation is smaller here, which might explain the change, but we really miss those fries.

It’s great to see them thriving in this new home, and we’ll definitely be back. Still holding out hope that the fried chicken sandwich and those perfect fries might make a...

Well curated and fresh beer and what I have eaten in my last three visits has been great. This transplant from the SF Mission area is a welcome addition to Rockridge that has not had a great brewpub in a while.

The one thing I would say is it would be great if they two step fried thicker frites. I get the kitchen is smaller but precooking a load of thick fries and then doing the second fry when someone orders will give it that amazing taste that are reminiscent of good Belgian frites. Also a moules frites offering would be great which would draw my wife there more often. Again if the frites were done a bit better I would probably make it there at least weekly if not more. It would give me an excuse to get more fresh beer and bring the family over.

Either way this is a great establishment and the back patio is heated so no worries about weathering the current February...